Year 3

Welcome Back To Year 3!

I hope that you’ve had an amazing festive break. I'm excited for the children to experience our new class topic: Rocks, Relics and Rumbles! Mrs Harper and I have lots of fun and engaging activities planned, so don’t forget to ask your child questions about their school day.

Rocks, Relics and Rumbles: This project teaches children about the features and characteristics of Earth's layers, including a detailed exploration of volcanic, tectonic and seismic activity. They will investigate tectonic plate boundaries and get active with volcanoes. Class 3 will understand the cause and consequence of earthquakes.

Spelling and Times Tables Homework is set every Friday! Also, please keep reading journals up-to–date. We aim for a minimum of 3 reads each week. Finally, don’t forget our PE days are Mondays and Thursdays

Maths: This year we will be continuing with the White Rose programme of Mathematics to build on the children’s knowledge. Also each lesson will contain a reasoning challenge to encourage deeper mathematical understanding.

Maths Learning Coverage for this term:

Multiplication & Division

Length & Perimeter

Mass & Capacity

Fractions

English: This term our novel study is ‘The Firework-Maker's Daughter’. We will become immersed in our class text, during our Reciprocal Reading lessons. St Thomas follows the Write Stuff scheme as a stimuli to become creative, independent writers.

The written genres that we will be covering are:

· The Secret of black Rock- Narrative

· The Flood - Narrative

· Earthquakes - Nonchronological Report

· How A Robot Dog Works- Explanation

Reading

The text will be used as a stimulus to build on their reading skills. In class, our Reciprocal Reading activities will focus on different skills: from group/ paired discussions to independent Cracking Comprehension activities. We will be looking at strategies on how to answer a range of questions. Also, we will be clarifying unfamiliar words to build on the children’s evolving vocabularies.

Spelling & SPAG

We will follow the Year 3 Read Write Inc Spelling Programme to focus on a fortnightly spelling pattern and Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum Spellings. Additionally, children will have exposure to the Rising Stars Skills Builders scheme of work which will revise, consolidate and build on their Spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge.

Physical Education

Class 3’s PE days are Mondays and Thursdays (Swimming Session)

After Easter, the children will attend statutory swimming lessons at Wath Leisure Centre. The children must wear swimming caps, one-piece costumes or trunks / tight swim shorts.

St Thomas will encourage lots of opportunities for children to exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Learning Coverage for this term:

· Dodgeball

· Dance

· Basketball

Science

Class 3 will be taught to apply scientific methods, skills and lead practicals through the Cornerstones programme of study.

Science Learning Coverage for this term:

· Different types of rocks

· Soil testing

· Fossils and how they're formed

· Earthquakes and tsunamis

History

Pupils will be taught about the changes in Britain.

History Learning Coverage for this term:

· Historically valid questions relate to aspects, such as significance; time and chronology; continuity and change; comparing and contrasting or cause and consequence.

· Marry Anning palaeontologist (scientist who studies fossils).

· Pompeii the ancient Roman city that perished when Mount Vesuvius erupted

Geography

They will use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present their findings. They will be aware of human and physical features in their local areas and further afield.

Geography Learning Coverage for this term:

· Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle.

· Exploring Tectonic plates

· Locate significant volcanoes on a world map

· Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography

· Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night).

· Knowledge Year 3

Art and Design

Class 3 will use their sketchbooks to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They will have opportunities to get creative with a range of different medias.

Art and Design Learning Coverage for this term:

· Use a range of sketching pencils to capture their observations

· Self portraits using sketching pencils

· Exploring ammonites

· Sculpture

· Lowry People and Places

Design and Technology

They will Use research and develop design criteria to innovative products. Their products will be aimed at a particular group and fit a purpose.

Design and Technology Learning Coverage for this term:

· Making it Move- Machines and mechanisms

· Design and create a toy

Religious Education

Class 3 will follow the Rotherham agreed syllabus supported by the Discovery RE syllabus. Together these will reinforce the children’s understanding of Hinduism and Christianity.

Learning Coverage for this term:

· Christianity- Theme Jesus’ Miracles

· Christianity – Theme Forgiveness

PSHE & RSE

PSHE will complement our RE work. The JIGSAW programme of study and The Discovery RE work simultaneously and instil a deeper connection. St Thomas core values and British Values will give each child a well-rounded insight into understanding society.

Learning Coverage for this term:

· Dreams and Goals

· Healthy Me

Music

St Thomas follows the Charanga scheme of work which is an active and upbeat scheme that delivers fun and engaging music lessons. The children will be also becoming emerging musicians by learning how to play the recorder.

Music Learning Coverage for this term:

· Listen and appreciate Music

· Recognise instruments and the sounds they make

· Understand different Genres of music

· Learn choruses and verses to songs

· Find the beat through body percussion

ICT

St Thomas follows the Purple mash scheme of work which is interactive and develops the children's ITC skills. The scheme covers, coding, Internet Safety, digital literacy, websites and can be used as a cross-curricular tool to support other subjects.

ICT Learning Coverage for this term:

· Spreadsheets

· Touch Typing

· Email

Spanish MFL

The children will have frequent practise to listen, comprehend, speak, read and write in Spanish. The I Languages scheme of work is interactive, fun and engaging.

I thoroughly look forward to the Spring term.

Thank you,

Mr Turner

Mrs Harper

Welcome Back After Your Easter Break!

I hope that you’ve had an amazing Easter break. I'm excited for the children to experience our new class topic: Emperors and Empires! Mrs Harper and I have lots of fun and engaging activities planned, so don’t forget to ask your child, about their school day.

Emperors and Empires: This project teaches children about the history and structure of ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, including a detailed exploration of the Romanisation of Britain.

Swimming is every Friday morning. Children need either a one-piece costume or tight swim-shorts, a swimming cap and a towel.

Maths: This year we will be continuing with the White Rose programme of Mathematics to build on the children’s knowledge. Also, each lesson will contain reasoning challenges to encourage deeper mathematical understanding.

Maths Learning Coverage for this term:

· Mass & Capacity

· Fractions

· Money

· Shape

· Time

· Statistics

English: This term our novel study is ‘Roman Tales: The Goose Guards – Terry Deary.’ We will become immersed in our class text during our Reciprocal Reading lessons. St Thomas follows the Write Stuff scheme as a stimuli to become creative, independent writers.

The written genres that we will be covering are:

· Theseus and the minotaur- Myth

· Life as a slave - Diary

· I asked a Boy Who Couldn’t See - Poetry

· How A Robot Dog Works- Explanation

Reading

Spelling & SPAG

Physical Education

Class 3’s PE days are Mondays and Tuesdays. The children will behaving their PE lessons mainly outdoors so please ensure that your child is wearing sun cream.

St Thomas will encourage lots of opportunities for children to exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Learning Coverage for this term:

· Athletics

· Swimming

· Tennis

· Fitness

· Cricket

Science

Class 3 will be taught to apply scientific methods, skills and lead practicals through the Cornerstones programme of study.

Science Learning Coverage for this term:

· Plant nutrition and reproduction

· A plant’s lifecycle

· Leading and planning tests

· Lights, Shadows and transparency

History

Pupils will be taught about the changes in Britain.

History Learning Coverage for this term:

· Revisiting the terms AD and BC

· Understanding key events on a timeline

· Emperors, hierarchy and power

· The Romanisation of Britain

· Boudicca’s rebellion

· Hadrian’s wall and structures for defence

· Comparing paganism and Christianity

Geography

They will use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present their findings. They will be aware of human and physical features in their local areas and further afield.

· Revisit their geological skills

· Using maps to observe the growth of the Roman empire across the world

Art and Design

Class 3 will use their sketchbooks to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas. They will have opportunities to get creative with a range of different medias.

Art and Design Learning Coverage for this term:

· Use a range of sketching pencils to capture their observations

· Self-portraits using sketching pencils

· Mosaic master looking at culture and art in roman times

· Botanical art work and artists

Design and Technology

They will Use research and develop design criteria to innovative products. Their products will be aimed at a particular group and fit a purpose.

Design and Technology Learning Coverage for this term:

· Loom and botanical weaving

· Design structure and purpose of a greenhouse

· Compare and research Sir Joseph Paxton and Sir Nicolas Grimshaw’s greenhouse designs

Religious Education

Class 3 will follow the Rotherham agreed syllabus supported by the Discovery RE syllabus. Together these will reinforce the children’s understanding of Hinduism and Christianity.

Learning Coverage for this term:

Hinduism - Can Brahman be everywhere and in everything?
Hinduism – Theme Pilgrimage to The River Ganges

PSHE & RSE

PSHE will complement our RE work. The JIGSAW programme of study and The Discovery RE work simultaneously and instils a deeper connection to St Thomas core values which will give each child a well-rounded insight into understanding of society.

Learning Coverage for this term:

· Healthy Me

· Changing me

Music

St Thomas follows the Charanga scheme of work which is an active and upbeat scheme that delivers fun and engaging music lessons.

Music Learning Coverage for this term:

· Listen and appreciate Music

· Recognise instruments and the sounds they make

· Understand different Genres of music

· Learn choruses and verses to songs

· Find the beat through body percussion

· Playing an instrument

ICT

ICT Learning Coverage for this term:

· Simulations

· Graphing

· Presentations

Spanish MFL

The children will have frequent practise to listen, comprehend, speak, read and write in Spanish. The I Languages scheme of work is interactive, fun and engaging.

Home learning

I thoroughly look forward to the Summer term.

Thank you,

Mr Turner

Mrs Harper